By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The bats got the Tennessee Tech baseball team off to an early lead Tuesday afternoon, but the offense couldn't keep pace with No. 20 nationally-ranked Alabama at Sewell-Thomas Stadium as the Golden Eagles fell to the Crimson Tide, 7-4.
Shortstop Troy Baunsgard kicked off the contest with some fireworks, wasting no time in putting the purple and gold on top. The junior uncorked a monster swing on the fourth pitch of the ball game, blasting a solo home run to left field for a 1-0 Tech lead and his second long ball of the year.
Alabama responded by loading the bases without an out in the bottom half, but the Tech defense limited the damage. A double play ball allowed one run to score for the price of two outs and ground out on the following batter averted any other danger in the inning.
The Crimson Tide jumped on top for good in the third, plating a pair with a lead-off dinger, a triple, and RBI single to open the frame. Another double play by the Golden Eagle defense ended the inning.
Tech went back to work with the sticks in the fourth, with senior John Dyer cutting the deficit in half. Trailing 3-1, the slugger smashed a solo jack to left field on a 2-1 offering, his first round-tripper of the season and 25th of his career.
Once again, the Alabama offense responded back, scoring twice in the fifth with a two-run homer and once more in the sixth with an unearned run.
The purple and gold put together one more comeback bid in the seventh, with right-fielder Theo Bryant IV blistering an RBI single to right-center field to make it a 6-3 contest. Following a walk to third baseman Peyton Mills, catcher Hayden Gilliland loaded the bags with a base knock to left field.
Dyer took his turn in the box and fought off an 0-2 count with a sac fly to right field, driving in his second run of the game. The Crimson Tide collected one more home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh before the scoring came to a close for both sides.
Bryant paced Tech with a pair of hits in four at-bats while Dyer led the squad with a pair of RBI. On the mound, freshman Josh Beasley provided an inning of scoreless relief while sophomore Parker MacCauley and rookie Jaxson Pease combined to toss up a zero in the eighth frame.
The Golden Eagles are set to continue its four-game road swing this weekend, heading to Atlanta for a three-game series with No. 22 Georgia Tech starting with a Friday match-up at 3:00 p.m. CT. Game two of the weekend is slated for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch on Saturday while the finale will commence at noon on Sunday.
File photo by Jim Dillon
